Men accused of espionage for Iran appear in Abu Dhabi court

SHARE

Four cases were heard at the Federal Court of Appeal on Thursday including three separate hearings for men accused of espionage for Iran and an Emirati who allegedly attempted to join Isil.

An Iranian man who shared intelligence with his home country and was charged with deception, fraud and smuggling equipment used for the Iranian nuclear programme was sentenced to ten years in an Abu Dhabi prison.

The Federal Court of Appeal convicted the 48-year-old of damaging the relationship between the UAE and the United States by importing equipment from the US and smuggling them into Iran, breaching the international sanctions against Iran that were imposed by the United Nations.

The court ordered the man pay for the costs of the case and he be deported after serving his jail term.

Also on Thursday, the court heard the case of an Emirati who attempted to join Isil and spread the messages of the terrorist organisation on social media.

The court ordered the Emirati man undergo psychological tests following a request from his lawyers and then postponed the case.

In another espionage case, a 34-year-old Emirati and his 44-year-old accomplice – a Gulf national living in the UAE – are accused of sharing information with agents working for the Iranian intelligence agencies.

The court was told the men would meet the agent at the Iranian Consulate in Dubai and provide him with confidential information about government establishments, which damaged the UAE’s interests.

The prosecutor also accused them of damaging the UAE’s relationship with Saudi Arabia, by spreading fabricated articles and information to offend Saudi Arabia and its political stances, reported state news agency Wam.

The final case heard was that of an Emirati accused of colluding with Iranian intelligence agencies through an agent working at the Iranian Consulate in Dubai.

The 55-year-old, who worked as an employee of a petroleum company in Abu Dhabi, allegedly supplied the man with confidential information related to the UAE’s oil wells.

The court was told the leaked information could harm the UAE’s overall interests and damage its economy.